Buzz
Sparkling lights from the giant lantern festival or the pedestrian street, churches... in Hanoi will captivate you during Christmas.
Christmas Playgrounds in Hanoi for the Young Generation
Christmas is the biggest festival in Western countries, but in recent years, major cities in our country have also invested in festive activities. In Hanoi, there are numerous places for people to enjoy the cheerful atmosphere.
Giant Lantern Festival
Since early December, a large-scale lantern festival has opened at Yen So Park. This is an intriguing playground for all ages with thousands of dazzling lights from lanterns of various shapes and sizes. The giant lantern festival, previously organized in many developed countries such as the UK, the US, Korea, Japan, attracts millions of visitors.
In Vietnam, right from its opening, many people have flocked to visit and capture memorable photos. Various areas simulate famous architectural landmarks with lanterns. There are different sections like the peace zone with lanterns, romantic love area, or lanterns depicting Korean stars. With Christmas approaching, the entrance area has been adorned with lucky lanterns, Christmas trees, and the festival runs from December 3, 2016, to January 22, 2017, allowing everyone to explore freely.
Catholic churches, steeped in tradition, always attract people during Christmas. Unlike shopping centers, churches are often decorated more simply but with solemn themes like Christmas trees, caves, reindeer... You can visit St. Joseph's Cathedral on Ly Quoc Su Street, Ham Long Church (21 Ham Long Street), Cua Bac Church (56 Phan Dinh Phung), Thinh Liet Church (Giap Bat Alley), Phung Khoang Church (Thanh Xuan District), Sainte Marie Church (37 Hai Ba Trung), Hang Bot Church (162 Ton Duc Thang), Nam Dong Church (178 Nguyen Luong Bang)... It's advisable to visit churches before Christmas Eve as getting inside during the main celebration might be challenging.
Hang Ma Street
Hang Ma Street is a favorite spot for young people during this time. The colorful shops dominate in red, green, and white with lovely items like Santa hats, Christmas clothing, gifts, Christmas trees... This is a must-visit place for shopping or taking a Christmas-themed photo. Whatever you need related to Christmas, you'll find it here.
Hoan Kiem Walking Street
This year, Hanoi has a new walking street. Since the weekend walking street was established, many cultural and entertainment activities have taken place here, attracting a large number of locals and tourists around Hoan Kiem Lake. Therefore, the decoration for Christmas and New Year's has been deployed early and is more splendid. Christmas trees, sparkling lights, music bands... on every street are very captivating. If you don't enjoy being in the bustling crowd, you can choose a coffee shop by the lake to admire the panorama and enjoy the soothing music. Most of these coffee shops are beautifully decorated.
Shopping Centers
Royal City, Times City, Aeon Mall... are large shopping centers that focus on elaborate and unique decorations for every festive occasion. Christmas, being close to the New Year, is adorned even more splendidly. Each shopping center places giant Christmas trees in front of the squares. The pedestrian spaces and shops are also brilliantly adorned with vibrant red and green hues. Numerous activities are organized in these areas throughout the period from Christmas to New Year.
By Linh San/Ngoi Sao
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourDecember 16, 2016
